Chapter 15 - the audit trail
The answer came two days later.
A computer forensic team found the pattern.
Every suspicious transfer had been initiated through the same administrative access profile.
The profile belonged to the hospital's executive operations office.
But the person using it was not an executive.
It was an administrative coordinator named Melissa Grant.
Claire asked for the complete audit trail.
Melissa had accessed the system during twenty-nine of the thirty-seven suspicious cases.
But the evidence didn't stop there.
The system showed that Melissa's credentials had also been used after midnight on several occasions.
Claire refused to jump to conclusions.
"Bring her in."
Melissa arrived with trembling hands.
She looked exhausted.
Claire offered her a chair.
"Melissa, I need you to tell me the truth."
"I am."
"Your credentials were used to change patient assignments."
Melissa's face went pale.
"I didn't do that."
"Then who did?"
Melissa began crying.
"I don't know."
Claire remained silent.
After several minutes, Melissa whispered,
"My supervisor told me to leave my password written in the office."
Claire stared at her.
"Who?"
Melissa hesitated.
"Thomas Bell."
The name meant nothing to Claire.
Elaine did.
"Chief administrative officer."
Claire leaned back.
"Bring him in."
Thomas arrived twenty minutes later.
He was calm.
Too calm.
He insisted the system changes were routine.
Then the forensic specialist placed the audit report in front of him.
Thomas stopped talking.
Claire looked at him.
"Why were high-risk patients being moved?"
Thomas said nothing.
"Why were private patients receiving priority?"
Still nothing.
Claire pushed another document across the table.
"And why did your access credentials appear in the system during the same periods?"
Thomas's face changed.
Finally, he said,
"I was trying to protect the hospital."
Claire's voice hardened.
"From what?"
"Financial collapse."
That answer surprised everyone.
Thomas explained that St. Catherine's private maternity program generated enormous revenue.
If too many executive patients complained about room availability, major corporate contracts could be lost.
"So you sacrificed vulnerable women to protect revenue."
Thomas looked down.
"I made decisions."
Claire stared at him.
"No."
Her voice was quiet.
"You made a choice."
She stood.
"And now you will answer for it."
Thomas was removed that afternoon.
But Claire didn't feel victorious.
She felt tired.
Because the truth was worse than she expected.
Ryan had betrayed her for greed.
The hospital had endangered women for profit.
Different people.
Same sickness.
Money had been placed above human life.
Claire knew what she had to do next.
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She would not merely punish Thomas.
She would change the structure that allowed someone like him to exist.
